Improvement in water-wheels



gaat etna.

Joan T.- CASE; or BARKHAMSTED, CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No.- 97,355, dated November 30, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IDI WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in-these Letten Patent and making part` of the names To all whom it may concern:

Be it 'known that I, JOEL T. CASE, of Barkhamsted, county of Litchfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Wheels; and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it, referring to the drawings, in which the same letters `indicate like parts in. each .of the figures.

The nature of this invention will be understood from the specification and drawings, the object of which is to simplify its construction, regulate the pressure, quantity, and ow of water uniformly upon all part-s oi' the wheel.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1V is a side4 elevation.

Figure 2 is a section of the bridge and step of the wheel-support.

Figure 3 is a side view 'of the wheel.

Figure 4 is an edge view of the bottom of its buckets.

Figures 5 and 6 show sections of the rotating ring or gate, which opens and closes the port through which the water is admitted to the wheel.

a is the Wheelbase l Y a'is aycone-shaped cover to the wheel-case, and is `provided with openings a, sides and bottom guideplates, iu number more `or less, corresponding to Athe number of buckets in the wheel, each of which openings a is provided with sides and a bottom waterguide plate, arranged ,at an angle in which .it may be desirable to throw the water upon the wheel.l and near thelower or outer edge of the cover a', the sides being at about a right angle with the line lof the cover a', and

the bottom 'at about an angle of forty-live degrees, more or less, with a perpendicular line.

Directly over these openings is arranged a rotary flange-ring, which 4consists of two flanges, li d', be-

l tween which, and at regular intervals, are arranged and secured curved bonnets c, the back edge of which is about flush wit-h the edges of the tlangcs del. The other edge fits down, as also the inner llange, upon thc surface ofthe cover a.' The lower edge of the flange d' fits down over the'lowor edge of the cover a, so as to keep it, the ring c, rmly in its proper place upon the cover, and allow it to be moved or rotate back and .forth thereon, over the openings or water-p'orts al. rlhe back edge of the plate or bonnet o is bent down an lits closely to the cover a. i

Each of these bonnets is provided with a flap, f, which extends down through the openings al, and arranged at about the same angle or parallel with the plate a, so that when the ring is moved in one direction, the openihgs al will .be simultaneously uncovered, more or less, as desirable, by the'movemeut of the ring back and forth over these ports, by means of an apparatus hereinafter described.` Various other ways may be employed for securing these rings in place.

This cover is also provided with a flange, or other means, by which it is connected to the case a.

Upon one side of this case a is secured a boxing, g in which is arranged an angle-lever, It.

The angle-corner is secured in the lower corner of the box g, by a pin or screw, t.

A connection, i,-is made from one cud of said lever,

l1, to a boss, It, upon the ring c.

. lh'e other end of lever h is operated by means of a` perpendicular screw, Z, arranged within the box g.

Upon'said screw is arranged a lifting or depressinguut, fm..

The outer end of the lever h is connected lto said' nut by a screw, n, #working througlrand in a slit, o, so that by turning the shaft or screw n, through the inedium of thc'lever lt and connection j, the ring c will be actuated back and forth over the ports in the cover, and allow a greater or less ilow of' water to act upon the wheel.

A regulating-screw, p, is arranged in they top of the box, for the nut m to strike against, by means of which the action or mot-ion of the ring is regulated to allow a given quantity of water to llow upon the wheel.

B is thc wheel, connected to the shaft A by means of' arms or plate. Y

The lower end 'ol' this shaft takes its bearing in or on the step l).

The upper end is adjusted in its proper place and position in the boxE by means of set-screws.

lhc flange F, or upper sidc ot thebuckets, islocated so as to bejust one side of the openings al, through the cover af, and at an angle of about forty-five degrees with thc shaft A.

To the outside of the flange F arc secured buckets Gr. rlhe shape of the bottom or back of the bucket is clearly-shown in Iig. 4,

The outer edge or side of the bucket K is turned up or formed in a circular line corresponding to the diameter oi the wheel, and abruit equal dista-nce from the tiange HF.

lThe upper edges of these'buckets are designed to fit closely inside of tho cover, to prevent waste of water.

Thus, it will be seen, that the .water is admitted through the openings in the cover and guided in a fixed direction, and expeuds its force directly against the buckets, and then escapes therefrom underneath the buckets, without reacting in any manner to retard the motion of the wheel.

H is a bridge, secured to the under side of the wheelcase by means of bolts l. 4

D is a step, inserted into the hub of the bridge H, is held therein by a key, L, so that when any repairs are needed it is only necessary to support the wheel iu place, remove the key L, and the step may be easily removed from .the under side, repaired, or a new one inserted in its place, and secured therein, by again inserting the key Lthrough the hub and slit P, formed in the lower end of said step.

This wheel is designed to beset in an opening formed in the bottom of a flume, and is held in a fixed position thereto, by means of bolts and ange R.

I believe I have thus shown the nature, construction, and advantage of this improvement, so as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same therefrom.

I do not claim the wheeluof itself considered, nor do I claim the slitted step D.

IVhat I claim, and Adesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-f- 1. The bonnet gate-ring c, constructed as described,

arranged over corresponding openings al, upon a coneshaped cover a', for admitting, cutting oli', or regulating the flow of water, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the screw m, angle-lever h, connection j, with the ring c, substantially as and for the purpose sct forth.

3. The combination of the wheel B with the case a a' and ring c, substantially as set forth.

4. The slitted step D, in combination with key L and bridge H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOEL T. O'ASE. [1'. SJ 'Witnessesz J osEPH ARBEITER,

JEREMY W Buss. l 

